Recent Comments by rcade

SportsFilter: The Sunday Huddle

The postgame of the FA Community Shield was entertaining. Jose Mourinho came out to accept the tiny runners up trophy, vigorously greeted every Arsenal player as he walked past, but he and Arsene Wenger both gave each other the cold shoulder. Mourinho then left the field, dodged a thrown water bottle and tossed the trophy into the crowd!

Roger Goodell Upholds Tom Brady's 4-Game Suspension on Appeal

I don't see where leaks have anything to do with Munson's legal analysis.

Brady will of course have vociferous arguments to make. He and the NFLPA have creative attorneys who have to do something aggressive with the facts available to them.

But treating "equipment violations" like a well-established category of case law that Goodell had an obligation to follow seems, to me, like one of those soft lobs a bad quarterback throws over the middle of the field that gets a wide receiver clobbered. It seems easy to counter with the argument that DeflateGate is a unique set of circumstances.

But if Brady wants to risk serving a late-season suspension and either he or the NFLPA is willing to put huge money into a lawsuit, I don't have a problem with them trying to smack down Goodell. Maybe they'll prevail.

Paragraph 3 of this comment is dedicated to Blaine Gabbert and Steve Pelluer.

Roger Goodell Upholds Tom Brady's 4-Game Suspension on Appeal

The motive for doing this is that their case might not be as solid as many think.

Brady has made the case for being punished over his non-cooperation pretty solid. I don't see how he gets far in court after destroying his phone on the day he did.

As for the NFL's punishment being overturned by a court, I find compelling the legal analysis offered by the lawyer and sports journalist Lester Munson. Brady's been punished under an arbitration process players agreed to in the CBA and judges don't like to open the can of worms that comes from reversing arbitrators.

It's not like Brady is suffering massive off-the-field damages here. A guy with an estimated net worth of $120 million is losing $1.88 million in pay. That sucks, but if he lost 1.5% of his net worth from a bad business investment I don't think anyone would regard it a major setback for him.

As for his on-the-field punishment, that's something the NFL is far more qualified to determine than an outside court. If the NFL considers intentionally deflated footballs below 12.5 PSI a major rules violation, I believe its authority to make that conclusion should be accepted.

There's something in the Olympic water in Rio...and it's not good.

This is horrendous. But while watching the World Cup last year and seeing the constant shots of enormous crowds on the beach, I don't recall being told that they were frolicking in sewage.

The Olympics isn't as much fun as it was in my childhood. Grafters are really good at getting their hooks into international sporting events and making them a license to drain as much public money out of a site as possible.

I wish I could believe the promises that an Olympics or World Cup will leave a country better off, with meaningful and lasting improvements to public facilities and infrastructure. How many places can even muster an argument that it was true for them, five or 10 years later?

Roger Goodell Upholds Tom Brady's 4-Game Suspension on Appeal

Couldn't one argue the correct jurisdiction is where the horrible crime took place, Massachusetts?

Yes, but the league is based in New York City so that's just as reasonable a choice of venue.

I was shocked the NFL filed a suit pre-emptively to defend itself within minutes of announcing the appeal decision. Either Goodell is taking this personally or there's a bigger motive at stake, such as a chance to take the NFLPA down in a strategically advantageous way. I hope there's some investigative journalism being undertaken by an outlet with no financial ties to the NFL that will dig into why Goodell is running the league the way he is.

Another thing that baffles me is why Brady didn't just provide some text messages to the league. If he could have said "I gave the league the information it requested, after consultation with my attorney" I think he receives a two-game suspension instead of four. If he's innocent, the messages help further that claim. If he's guilty, he could have been sneaky and only provided messages that didn't show it. The league would not have been able to demand all his messages to prove he omitted some.

CFL Pick 'Em, Week Six

Roger Goodell Upholds Tom Brady's 4-Game Suspension on Appeal

From Shaunessy: "Going to federal court could result in Brady serving his suspension at a more inopportune time (December?)."

I've been wondering the same thing. Isn't it a big risk for Brady to push his potential suspension deeper into a season? I'd rather have my star quarterback out to start a season than at any other point later.

SportsFilter: The Wednesday Huddle

Roger Goodell Upholds Tom Brady's 4-Game Suspension on Appeal

I loved this passage in an ESPN piece on the Hoodie's presser yesterday: "He wasn't there to answer questions. He was there to defy, to deflect, to be on-message, to make everyone feel bad for not asking about football. Irascible coach. Focused coach. Everything Patriots fans love about their coach, who has delivered four Super Bowls and no apologies in 15 years. Belichick could emblazon a middle finger on his hoodie and rally six states to his side while telling the outside world its questions don't matter."

Pats fans, it must be nice to have that gruff and cunning bastard on your sidelines. "Four Super Bowls and no apologies" would be great on a T-shirt.

Roger Goodell Upholds Tom Brady's 4-Game Suspension on Appeal

I don't see any flaw in the idea that a sports league should be able to police itself with the commissioner as the ultimate authority. That's the point of having a commissioner going back to the elevation of Kennesaw Mountain Landis as the first Commissioner of Baseball.

Tom Brady and the players union agreed to Roger Goodell's authority to police the sport in the collective bargaining agreement. Even if you think Goodell didn't enforce the league's rules properly or fairly, I don't see how you can attack the idea of the NFL as the ultimate authority for matters like this without undermining the entire system of self-policing.

Surely nobody here would prefer that the in-sport punishment for all player conduct matters was decided by actual courts.

SportsFilter: The Saturday Huddle

NFL limits Junior Seau's daughter to video voiceover at HoF induction

Refusing to let Seau's family speak on his behalf at the ceremony is a travesty. I'm going to contact the NFL to complain about this on Monday. The ceremony's on Aug. 8, so there's time for the public to get this changed.

CFL Pick 'Em, Week Five

Lou Lamoriello new Maple Leafs GM

This hire makes me wonder how many general managers have ever been over 70 when hired to take over in one of the major pro sports. He's 72. How long-term can the plan be here, realistically? I can't imagine he'll be doing the job at 80. Maybe they're expecting him to build a management team under him that can keep on trucking when he retires.

SportsFilter: The Thursday Huddle

Andres Guardado of Mexico, after a controversial penalty kick was awarded his team against Panama in last night's Gold Cup semifinal, made a bizarre admission: He was tempted to intentionally miss the PK because the call was unjust. "Yes, for a minute, yes [I considered kicking it wide] but in the end, we are professionals and you think about the times you have been on the other side and the hearts of the other team's players aren't moved," he said. "Whether it should have been a penalty or not, that is not our fault."

Lou Lamoriello new Maple Leafs GM

I'd love to see Toronto back on top of the NHL, as long as they weren't going through Dallas to get there.

While Lamoriello was Devils GM from 1987 to 2015, the team won three Stanley Cups and made 21 playoff appearances. The Leafs since 1987 have 13 playoff appearances and did not reach a Stanley Cup Final.

Indiana Pacers to Wear "Hoosiers" Inspired Uniform

I love Gene Hackman's acting, but I never saw Hoosiers as a great movie. With all the hype I expected it to bring something new to the formula of an underdog triumphing over adversity and winning it all. But it didn't.

It seems weird to honor a cinematic Indiana team instead of the real thing, the 1954 Milan High School state champions who inspired the film.

Isn't this basically the introduction of major advertising to North American sports uniforms (big 4 sports anyhow)?

I think the creep of brands into big four uniforms has already begun with brand logos on uniforms and equipment. They keep getting bigger.

SportsFilter: The Sunday Huddle

Asked about losing top scorer Monta Ellis, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban gave an interesting answer I thought I'd toss out for discussion here:

Actually scoring in the NBA is the easiest thing to replace. You don't see teams lose 20-point-a-game scorers and all of a sudden they're scoring 60 points or 20 points less. With players in the NBA, half of them are capable of scoring 20 points, its just what it would take them to do it. So no question Monta had a specific skill when it came to attacking the basket. When it came to being able to create a shot, Monta was one of the best, but we think that Chandler Parsons is going to be able to take up some of that slack. We think (Wes) Matthews, even though he's not a shot-creator, per se, will be more efficient in the shots he does take. We think D-Will, he does attack the basket, maybe not quite as often as Monta, but D-Will is more effective at pulling up and shooting, which isn't a great shot, but he's better at it. And also a better 3-point shooter. Zaza Pachulia shoots a mid-range pick and pop, almost as well as Dirk. He's in that 49, 50-percent range, but Zaza's not going to block shots. He's a good rebounder, but he's not a great shot blocker. So the piece we have to fill is a Tyson Chandler piece for a guy who rolls hard to the rim and rebounds well. If we're able to do that, then I think we've updated across the board.

SportsFilter: The Wednesday Huddle

Mark Cuban is devoted to ruining our fan rage. Asked what he said to Clippers owner Steve Ballmer: "I told him exactly what I told other owners, I didn't have a problem with his Hail Mary approach to keeping a player. I understood why they did it. And even how they did it. They got their player back. End of story."

What if we talked about NHL players the way the media talks about female athletes?

Top women tennis players balance body image with ambition

I am "buying" into the notion that I think it's pretty inappropriate for a man to go ahead and suggest that a woman is "settling" for what her own stated preferences are.

Dragging my gender into this is weird. Her male coach made a comment to the New York Times in a prominent article on Wimbledon championship weekend and I'm scrutinizing it.

If you think I've invented pressures that female athletes have to deal with that male ones do not that cause them to have to consider things like their femininity in addition to their skill, I feel like there's no point in continuing this discussion.

I didn't say you invented those pressures, but to at least a small degree, your position seems to be perpetuating them.

My position: A top female athlete should put her on-court success first and reject the idea she must avoid muscles to look feminine.

Yours: We shouldn't be critical of a top female athlete for valuing a body "society aesthetically prefers" at the possible expense of on-court success.

Which one of those positions is putting more pressure on a woman to consider her femininity in addition to skill?

To ask it another way, would you want a 12-year-old female tennis phenom to read the article and decide that developing a muscular physique would mean she's not feminine?

I'd rather have female athletes believe they can be as muscular as they need to be to succeed in their sport and be no less a woman for it. Male athletes don't worry about that shit. Females shouldn't either.

P.s. Is anyone else jazzed by a contentious debate taking place here over tennis?

Top women tennis players balance body image with ambition

... why I question who any of us are to determine whether or not someone's perspective on their own body is reasonable or not ...

Athletes like Radwanska make millions off our interest in them. I find it strange you think there should be a wall around her coach's statement about keeping her small as if it's unfair to scrutinize or criticize the attitude it embodies.

The decision to keep her small directly relates to her performance on the court. Her tennis coach is talking about a decision he made with her. This wasn't a personal issue unrelated to tennis.

In a foreign-language interview translated in April, her coach was asked, "Agnieszka can't grow any taller but she can develop stronger muscles, and recently she's lost some weight, too much even."

He responded, "It is a problem We talk with Agnieszka about it all the time. That's all I can say."

So there are concerns about her being too small and it affecting the quality of her performances -- voiced by the same coach who just proclaimed she's small by their choice.

You seem to be buying into the idea that a top female athlete (in arguably the most popular women's sport) can settle for less athletic success to pursue money and fame from being hot. Nobody tells men it's cool to do that.

Can you imagine the reaction if Tom Brady's personal trainer said he was the smallest elite quarterback by choice so that he'd be more marketable?

I feel like you're the one imposing a dual role on female athletes. I am judging Radwanska the same way I'd judge a male tennis player whose coach made a looks-first, tennis-second comment. She's a fantastic player on the cusp of greatness. I've become a fan due to the guile and talent she shows in her Wimbledon performances. I'd like to see her win the event before the window slams shut on her.

Serena Williams and the Fear of a Dominant Black Woman

If she was a white woman from a backwoods Kentucky holler you can bet there'd be much more made of the character traits and hard work that got her to where she is.

Probably, but at this point in Serena's career, stories of her upbringing are old news to most people. The legend of an athlete's rise is less relevant when the athlete is at the pinnacle of a career or on the way back down.

Serena Williams and the Fear of a Dominant Black Woman

Serena Williams should be celebrated for becoming a champ with an atypical body type. There are lots of girls who will never be described as willowy and some of them will see a role model who rules her sport and became comfortable with her own looks after a struggle in youth.

I don't know that racism is holding her back much any more, in terms of how the public receives her spectacular career.

Because of her greatness and the limited number of years she's expected to have left on top, Williams is highly popular within tennis and received a lot of love from the Wimbledon crowd this year.

Top women tennis players balance body image with ambition

If those quotes are legit, I think we're seeing a reason why Kournikova didn't achieve as much as she would've liked in single's tennis. "I hate my muscles" nicely captures a top athlete who limited her own success with a counterproductive attitude.

Williams and Kournikova were born three months apart, so there's likely an element of jealousy in Kournikova's ugly comments. One of them is a retired also-ran in singles while the other is still the best in that sport and probably the best ever.

Top women tennis players balance body image with ambition

Sure, but take the Williams sisters, who've externally to the sport received a ton of criticism for their lack of femininity.

Yes, Serena Williams takes flak from cavemen. But despite that, she has managed to be one of the physically strongest players in her sport and still be a fashion icon. It shows that Radwanska's attitude is foolish, if her coach is relating her thoughts accurately. Strong and feminine are not mutually exclusive.

She is 26 and close to greatness. That window will close in a few years and she can have the rest of her life to prioritize her looks. It's not like she'd no longer be good looking with some more muscles on her frame.

That quote fully validates my perspective ...

I think you're reading it to suit your opinion. Find me a quote where Kournikova says she values money and celebrity over her on-court success and I'll be persuaded.

Top women tennis players balance body image with ambition

Do you think Anna Kournikova, who made $3.5m on the WTA and has an estimated net worth of $50m today, is really upset at her life choices and what kind of life they've given her?

I think Kournikova would like to have been more successful on the court, yes. She has said in interviews that it bothered her to be treated like she was famous for her looks instead of her play.

Here's a quote from her in 2008: "In a perfect world, would I have won a tournament? Yes. But I wasn't able to string those matches together. Sometimes I got unlucky, and sometimes I just lost. Regrets? Not a thing. Except to be a little stronger physically."

(She did, for the record, win 16 tournaments in doubles and was world No. 1 in that sport in 1999.)

That's exactly the perspective that a variety of 49ers fans felt this season about the various players retiring before their time -- to which I say, if what fans want are win-at-all-costs robot players without concern for their broader selves or what makes them happy, those fans are dicks.

I didn't think we were debating whether to win at all costs.

I thought we were debating whether to win at the cost of not being the smallest top player to emphasize your feminine attractiveness.

SportsFilter: The Saturday Huddle

He'll get some knocks, but I suspect the Mavericks players will be unsatisfyingly fair to him. Millionaires have trouble staying mad at other millionaires.

If I was Mark Cuban I would cancel his famous visiting locker room perks when the Clippers are in town, such as lobster and other great food. All the other teams would still get it, but L.A. would only be served vending machine tuna fish salad sandwiches past their sell-by date.

Top women tennis players balance body image with ambition

Do you think Radwanska or any other top female tennis player will look back on her playing days and think "I'm glad I was the smallest woman in the top 10"? My guess is that attaching "Wimbledon winner" to your name forever would mean more.

Accepting what her coach said about her priorities is like cutting your favorite team's best player some slack after hearing that the highlight of his season is appearing in the ESPN Magazine body issue.

Sure we could give them slack -- we are beautiful snowflakes, one and all -- but realistically what fan likes to hear that when the team keeps coming close to a championship and falling short?

Top women tennis players balance body image with ambition

I wonder whether a bulky muscular build would help in tennis. The top five fastest serves among the women in 2015 were struck by Serena Williams, Denisa Allertova, Sabine Lisicki, Caroline Garcia and Polona Hercog. Aside from Williams they're all lanky with strong legs but a slim upper build.

Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic are playing the men's final tomorrow and both of them are almost thin enough to be described as slight of build.

The quote from Radwanska's coach is interesting. She's reached one Wimbledon Final and almost reached another this year. Maybe being the smallest player in the top 10 ought to be less of a focus than reaching that last rung to win a major.

Top women tennis players balance body image with ambition

I have trouble believing that any of the top women's tennis players would forego muscle building if they thought it would help their game. These are hyper-competitive athletes near the pinnacle of an entire sport. While looking good might be a goal, they're going to think the best-looking body is the one hoisting the trophy.

SportsFilter: The Saturday Huddle

The Jordan flip flop is terrible for the Mavericks but irresistible to this fan. I think I need my favorite teams to endure bouts of epic suffering, preferably in a manner that leaves me feeling they've been deeply and unjustly wronged. Only then does the later triumph feel earned.

The Mavericks join the Rangers in filling this emotional need. The "one strike from the World Series ring" Rangers in particular.

The Cowboys almost get there with the Bryant incompletion call, but they've been mediocre for so long I was happy almost reaching the NFC Championship at all. (Sad what's become of me. We used to be somebody!)

I contrast this to the long-term mundane suffering experienced by the Stars and Jaguars. There is nothing operatic in their misery. They're just consistently bad.

SportsFilter: The Saturday Huddle

SportsFilter: The Thursday Huddle

Being a journalist/blogger isn't a free pass to avoid personal legal obligations that would conflict with the First Amendment. If I signed an NDA I couldn't circumvent it just by putting the information in a news story. A blogger who chose to work for a hospital would likewise be obligated to follow HIPAA.

SportsFilter: The Thursday Huddle

If a blogger worked in a hospital and had access to private medical records, is he protected by those same First Amendment rights if he publishes the records of someone famous?

If the blogger works at a hospital, that legally obligates the person to follow HIPAA. I don't see how the person could claim that because she also works as a blogger, she gets to ignore the law due to the First Amendment.

Federer was a world-beater today. Murray couldn't even make it close and lost in straight sets. Djokovic also had a laugher, so they'll both be rested and ready.

Williams had no trouble with Sharapova. I was bummed that Muguruza upset Radwańska, a player who is becoming my favorite because she has to rely on guile. But Muguruza can sit back and bomb, so it'll be interesting to see if she can beat Williams again after doing it once last year in the second round of the French Open.

I'd like to see Federer get his record eighth. I get the feeling Wimbledon's crowd wants that too, because it cheered for him so much louder than Murray despite the latter being a hometown hero.